365个英语简短小故事-325. The Demanding Son

Luke didn’t know what to do. He wanted to yell¹ at Kyle, his fiancée’s son, because Kyle continued to argue with his mom. She didn’t even demand very much from him—“Study hard, get the best grades you can,” she told him. She tried to get it into his head that she didn’t have the money to pay for his college education. Not a cent. Instead of studying harder, however, Kyle spent hour after hour playing video games on his computer. He waited until the last minute to study for school tests, and then stayed up all night cramming³ for them. When Jane tried to remind him that he needed good grades so that he could get a grant⁴ or a scholarship⁵, he would get angry. He said it was her responsibility⁶ to take care of him financially until he graduated from college.

“Where did he get that idea?” Luke asked. “You’ve raised him for 10 years all by yourself. You don’t owe² him a thing. With his attitude, he should be glad you haven’t kicked him out of the apartment already. He graduates from high school next year. When I was in the eleventh grade, my father made it clear to me that when I graduated from high school, I was expected to leave home. Yet Kyle thinks you have to pay his way through college!?”

Jane wouldn't allow Luke to talk to Kyle. “He doesn’t like you telling him what to do. He says you’re not his father, so why should he have to listen to you?”

“Well, his father’s dead. He should appreciate that I’m around to try to help him.” Maybe Kyle would learn to accept Luke's help and advice in time, Jane said.

 

1 yell   

vi./n.号叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
• When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。

2 owe   

vt./vi.欠（债等）；感激；把……归功于某人

参考例句：

• We still owe one hundred dollars for the car.为这部车我们还欠着100美元。
• We owe it to society to make our country a better place.把国家建设得更美好是我们对社会应尽的责任。

3 cramming   

n.塞满，填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课

参考例句：

• Being hungry for the whole morning, I couldn't help cramming myself. 我饿了一上午，禁不住狼吞虎咽了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She's cramming for her history exam. 她考历史之前临时抱佛脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 grant   

vt.同意给予，授予，承认；n.拨款；补助款

参考例句：

• If you grant my request, you will earn my thanks.如果你答应我的要求，就会得到我的感谢。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

5 scholarship   

n.学问，学术成就，奖学金

参考例句：

• The girl who won the scholarship was quite outstanding.得奖学金的女孩是相当杰出的。
• I made up my mind to apply for a scholarship.我决定申请奖学金。

6 responsibility   

n.责任，职责

参考例句：

• The safety of the ship is the captain's responsibility.确保船的安全是船长的责任。
• The matter is outside my area of the responsibility.此事超出我的责任范围。